Vehicle Seatback Bracket with Spur and Sector Gear Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle seating assemblies lack the ability to efficiently adapt to various positions and functions within a vehicle, limiting their versatility for passenger comfort and cargo space utilization.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle seating assembly featuring a bracket with pivotable couplings and a gear assembly, including a spur gear and sector gear portion, allows the seatback to be moved from an upright to a forward inclined and then a flat position, enabling flexible configuration between sitting and standing positions, and accommodating cargo storage by rotating the pivotable couplings along defined axes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the seatback is fixed in an upright position, then structural simplicity is maintained, but versatility for different functions (cargo storage, passenger comfort) is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The seatback is transformed from a fixed structure to a dynamic one capable of multiple positions. The bracket assembly enables the seatback to rotate between upright, forward inclined, and substantially flat positions, allowing the same structure to serve multiple functions including passenger seating and cargo storage
Solution Approach 2:
The seating assembly is designed to perform multiple functions through a single integrated bracket mechanism. The same bracket and gear assembly enables both passenger comfort positioning and cargo storage configuration, eliminating the need for separate structures for different functions
2Adaptability or versatility
If the seatback can rotate to a flat position, then cargo space utilization is improved, but structural stability during rotation is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical lock is positioned in advance to engage with the bracket at specific intervals during rotation. As the seatback begins to rotate from upright position, the lock automatically engages at predetermined positions (upright, forward inclined, flat) to stabilize the structure before the next rotation phase begins
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical lock acts as an intermediary between the rotating seatback and the fixed vehicle structure. This locking mechanism transfers and stabilizes the rotational motion at discrete positions, providing structural stability while still enabling overall adaptability through controlled rotation
3Reliability
If a mechanical lock is added to maintain positional stability, then reliability of position retention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical lock is integrated with the existing bracket assembly rather than being a separate independent mechanism. The lock works in conjunction with the gear assembly and pivotable couplings, combining multiple functions into a unified structure that provides both positioning and locking capabilities without adding significant complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances passenger comfort by allowing seat reconfiguration for cargo storage and easy ingress/egress, providing additional cargo space and improving travel experience through adaptable seating arrangements.
Implementation Method 1
a sector gear portion with a gear assembly including a spur gear. The sector gear portion is disposed along an edge of the bracket, wherein the spur gear is rotatable to engage the sector gear portion of the bracket to move the bracket from a first position to a second position
Implementation Method 2
a first pivotable coupling between the bracket and the seat, a second pivotable coupling between the bracket and the seatback
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle seating assembly has a seat, a seatback and a bracket extending between the seat and the seatback with a first pivotable coupling between the bracket and the seat, a second pivotable coupling between the bracket and the seatback, and a sector gear portion with a gear assembly including a spur gear. The sector gear portion is disposed along an edge of the bracket, wherein the spur gear is rotatable to engage the sector gear portion of the bracket to move the bracket from a first position to a second position to move the second pivotable coupling from a primary position to a secondary position.